Eating out in Cincinnati

The people are warm and friendly and the food is hot and delicious. Here are 4 must-visit places to eat at if you're ever in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati seemed a very pretty but very quiet city my first week here, but since then the city and its charming mid-western ways have grown on me. The people are warm and friendly and the food is hot and delicious. Here are 4 must-visit places to eat at if you’re ever in Cincinnati.

Local 127Local 127 is a New American restaurant in downtown Cincinnati that specializes in seasonal and fresh food, locally sourced from farmers in the area. The menu combines the traditional with the modern, with a great mix of homey, hearty dishes and modern techniques. Some very innovative food mixed with the very familiar, almost comforting food, it looks inviting and tastes great. They also make these little chocolate chip cookies in house that are probably the most delicious ever. They’re small, a little salty, and oh so good.www.mylocal127.com

The RookwoodThe Rookwood, a lot like Local 127 in its principles of modern and traditional, is a gorgeous restaurant. Housed in the old manufacturing facility of the famous Rookwood Pottery, the setting is lovely with exposed brick and large kilns around you. Up on a hill in the chic Mt.Adams area, this restaurant serves up fresh, local food with really interesting twists. They also create unique cocktails that can be a lot of fun. One of the highlights on their menu has to be their Fried Bacon. Strips of bacon breaded and fried like fried chicken and glazed with a jalapeno honey, this dish is phenomenal. Crunchy, tender, insanely delicious.www.therookwood.com

Taste of BelgiumBelgian beer, Belgian waffles, Belgian Frites, the Taste of Belgium is the best brunch spot in town. Bright, cheerful and open, it’s a fantastic spot to drink and eat on a happy Sunday morning or any other day really. They have delicious crepes and waffles made in an authentic Belgian way, Liege Belgian Waffles with Pearl Sugar. Taste of Belgium also has a fantastic baked goods display and we’ve had the pleasure of trying their Gingerbread whoopie pie which was nothing short of brilliant. Gingerbread with a lemony buttercream sandwiched in between. Oh boy.authenticwaffle.com

Skyline ChiliJust so we’re covering all ends of the food spectrum, here’s a little something that could be considered, well, unsophisticated or low brow. That doesn’t stop Chili from being pretty damn fun to eat. Skyline Chili restaurants everywhere serve what is known as Cincinnati style Chili. This isn’t like the Chili associated with south-of-the-border food. This Chili has a number of sweeter spices like cinnamon and cloves, is less chunky, and most interestingly, is eaten over spaghetti or hot dogs, piled high with cheese. This is fast food, junk food, but fun food and if you’re in the town that created it, don’t miss it.

I am a Christian married to an Iyer and apart from our different backgrounds, just in terms of food culture, we had our work cut out for us. But somehow, these differences combined in beautiful ways to make our union a runaway success.

After a week of revelry and eating out, we were in need of a home cooked meal. And while we wanted it to be light, we still needed it to be flavourful and fulfilling. And when the idea of a Kerala Vegetable Stew sprang into our minds, it seemed just perfect.